{The great commandment in the law} (entol(8820)megal(8820)en t(9369)
nom(9369)). The positive adjective is sometimes as high in rank as
the superlative. See megas in Mt 5:19 in contrast with
elachistos. The superlative megistos occurs in the N.T. only
in 2Pe 1:4 . Possibly this scribe wishes to know which
commandment stood first ( Mr 12:28 ) with Jesus. "The scribes
declared that there were 248 affirmative precepts, as many as the
members of the human body; and 365 negative precepts, as many as
the days in the year, the total being 613, the number of letters
in the Decalogue" (Vincent). But Jesus cuts through such
pettifogging hair-splitting to the heart of the problem.
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